Nozzle container with flexible telescoping pouring spout



Dec. l1, 1956 w. 1. DoBBlNs NOZZLE ONTAINER WITH FLEXIBLE TELESCOPINGPOURING SiOUT Filed June 5. 1953 riff/Ivo INVENTOR.

VIA Il fili/Iliff!!! NOZZLE CGNTAlNElR WITH FLEXIBLE TELESCOPING POURINGSPOUT Walter Il. Dobbins III, Little Falls, N. J., assignor to` AmericanCan Company, New York, N.v Y., a corporation of New Jersey The presentinvention relates to containers having nozzles embodying retractable,telescoping or extensible pouring spouts for dispensing the contents ofthe containers and has particular reference to a exible or resilienttubular pouring spout. This is an improvement over the pouring spoutdisclosed in United States Patent 1,773,846 issuedAugust 26, 1930, toHenry M. Nicholls.

ln the manufacture of containers having telescoping or extensiblepouring spouts, the spouts are usually made of sheet metal and slidablyembodied in a nozzle which is secured to the container and which isclosed and sealed with a screw cap. ln spouts of this character it isdifficult to provide for a leakproof tit around the mouth of the nozzlewhile simultaneously providing for easy sliding of the spout in thenozzle. Another diticulty is in providing means for retaining the spoutin the nozzle and for easy` assembling of the spout with the nozzle.

An object of the instant invention is the provision of a telescopingpouring spout which overcomes these diiculties wherein the pouring spoutis madey of a tlexible or compressible material and is so proportionedthat it may be readily pressed into place within the mouth of a nozzleafter the nozzle is secured to the container.

Another object is the provision of such a pouring spout for a nozzlecontainer wherein the spout is loosely supported in the nozzle for easysliding movement therein but upon withdrawal into extended dispensingposition, lits tightly in the nozzle mouth in leakproof frictionalengagement with the nozzle, without requiring a separate gasket, to holdthe spout in extended position and to facilitate dispensing of liquidproducts without leakage around the spout. *f

Another object is the provision of such a pouring spout for a nozzlecontainer wherein a flange portion on the nozzle serves a dual purposeof retaining the spout in retracted or non-pouring position andmoreimportantly providing a gasket for the cap which closes the nozzle, sothat the usual separate expensive gasket in the cap may be eliminated.

Numerous other objects and advantages of the inven* tion will beapparent as it is better understood from the following description,which, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, discloses apreferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 'l is a perspective view of a nozzle container sealed with ascrew cap and tted with a telescoping pouring spout embodying theinstant invention;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the pouring spout used in the containershown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along a vertical plane indicated by thelines 3--3 in Fig. 1 with parts broken away; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3 having the cap removed from thenozzle and showing the pouring spout extended outwardly in dispensingposition.

As a preferred or exemplary embodiment of the in vention the drawingsillustrate a container A (Fig. l)

nited States Patenti() ice Patented Dec. 1.1, 195s having anextensiblepouring spout B (Fig. 2) for holding and dispensing liquidcontents although the invention is equally well adapted to dry andgranular products and other substances. The container preferablycomprises a cylindrical sheet metal body 11 having top'and bottom endmembers 12, 13 respectively secured thereto in suitable end seams14.

The top end member 12 preferably is provided with a dispensing opening16 (Figs. 3 and 4) having secured therein in any suitable manner, asheet metal nozzle 17 which projects upwardly above the top of thecontainer. At its lower end the nozzle 17 preferably is attached to thetop end member 12 by an interfolding of a flange 18 of the nozzlearoundthe edgeof the top end member defining the opening 16. At itsupper end` the nozzle 17 is formed withy an inwardly and slightlyupwardly inclined at flange, rim or seat 19 which merges into a shortdepending skirt 21 defining a mouth 22 for the nozzle.

The nozzle 17 is providedfwith a gasketless screw cap 24 having a llatimperforate top 25 and a depending skirt 26 which extends down aroundthe nozzle 17. The skirt 26 is formed with screw threads 27 forcooperative action with similar screw threads 28 in the nozzle 17 forsecuring they cap to thel nozzle tol close the container.

Theextensible spout B when assembled with the container is located inthe mouth 22 of the nozzle 17, and is-preferably made of a resilientcompressible or flexible plastic material commercially known aspolyethylene or other suitable substance. The spout B preferably is madein one-piece and comprises a cylindrical tubular seamless body 31 ofa-uniform diameter slightly smaller than the inside diameter of thenozzle skirt 2-1, for a loose tit in the nozzle mouth 22.

Adjacent its lower end the spout body 31l is formed with a thickenedfriction portion or collar 32 of a diam eter substantially equal to orslightly larger than the inside diameter of the nozzle skirt 21 toproduce a tight friction lit against the nozzle skirt. The lower end ofthis friction collar 32 merges into an annular stop shoulder 33 havingan external diameter substantially greater than the diameterfof themouth 22 of the nozzle 17 and constitutes a portionof an inserting head34 formed on the inner terminal end of the spout. The head 34 isprovided with a downwardly and inwardly tapered outer face 35 tofacilitate insertion of the spout within the nozzle mouth 22. At itsupper end, the spout body 31 is formed with an annular flange 37 of anexternal diameter slightly less than the outside diameter of the nozzle17 for overlapping engagement with the seat 19 of the nozzle.

The extensible spout B is adapted to be-inserted into the nozzle mouth22 after the nozzle 17 is assembled with the container 11'. This is oneof the reasons ythe spout is made of'a resilient or compressiblematerial. By positioning the tapered head 34 in the nozzle mouth 22 withits tapered face 35 against the edge of the nozzle skirt 21 surroundingthe mouth and applying a slight pressure on the spout in the directionof the nozzle, the tapered head 34 of the spout may be readily pressedinto and through the nozzle mouth 22 thereby assembling the spout withthe container as shown in Fig. 3. When the spout is in fully assembledrelation with the nozzle as shown in Fig. 3, its top tiange 37 rests ontop of the seat 19 of the nozzle and thus prevents the spout fromfalling all the way into the container. In this position the spoutflange 37, being also of a resilient nature, serves as a gasket for thecap 24. The tlange 37 thereby eliminates the extra need and cost of aseparate gasket in the cap as is usually provided. A similar separategasket is also eliminated at the bottom end of the spout B, thethickened compressible collar 32 taking the place of such a gasket whenthe spout is in extended position (Fig. 4).

When it is desired to dispense the contents of the container A, it ismerely necessary to remove the cap 24, and

lift the spout B, by its flange 37, into the dispensing position shownin Fig. 4. In this position, the stop shoulder 33 of the spout head 34is in tight engagement with the lower terminal edge of the nozzle skirt21 and the integral friction collar 32 of the spout is wedged tightlyagainst the inner face of the nozzle skirt 21 thereby providing a liquidtight fit of the spout within the nozzle mouth 22 which retains thespout in its extended dispensing position and simultaneously preventsleakage of the container contents around the spout in the mouth of thenozzle.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantageswill be understood from the foregoing description, and it will beapparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction andarrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the formhereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

l claim:

l. A container comprising a top end member having an upstanding nozzleprovided with a dispensing mouth, and a telescoping pouring spoutslidably disposed in said mouth, said spout having a tubular body ofsmaller diameter than said mouth for easy sliding movement of said spoutin said mouth, said spout body at its inner end having an enlargedfriction collar of a diameter substantially equal to the diameter ofsaid mouth for frictional engagement with the inner nozzle wallsurrounding said mouth to frictionally hold said spoutin an extendedleakproof dispensing position, said spout being integrally formed ofcompressible resilient plastic material and terminating at its inner endin an enlarged inwardly tapered head portion surrounding said spout endto facilitate its insertion when compressed into said nozzle mouth topermanently assemble said spout and nozzle in operative relation.

2. A one-piece, seamless, flexible telescoping pouring spout for acontainer having a nozzle formed with a dispensing mouth to be sealed by'a removable gasketless cap, comprising in combination a tubularcylindrical body of a uniform diameter slightly less than the diameterof the mouth of said nozzle to facilitate sliding of said body in saidmouth, said body at one end having an integral compressible insertinghead of a diameter greater than the diameter of said mouth and providedwith a tapered face to facilitate passage of said head into and throughsaid mouth to assemble said spout with said nozzle, said head afterinsertion through said mouth serving to limit the extensibility of saidspout in said nozzle, said body at its opposite end having an integralflange extending outwardly from said body and disposable between the rimof said nozzle and the top of said cap when the cap is applied to thenozzle to provide a leakproof gasket for said cap, and a friction collaron said body adjacent said inserting head, said collar having a uniformdiameter substantially equal to the diameter of said mouth for tightfrictional engagement therein when the spout is extended into pouringposition to hold said spout against retraction and to provide aleakproof seal between said collar and said nozzle.

3. A container having a nozzle provided with a circular dispensing mouthsurrounded by a sealing seat for a gasketless closure cap, said seatterminating in an annular depending skirt defining said mouth, and atelescoping tubular pouring spout of resilient compressible plasticmaterial slidable within said mouth, said spout having an annularresilient flange overlapping said sealing seat to constitute a gasketfor said closure cap for sealing said mouth when said spout is in aretracted position within said nozzle with said closure cap applied tosaid nozzle, the inner end portion of said spout having an enlargedintegral cylindrical head of slightly greater diameter than the diameterof said nozzle mouth, said head tapering inwardly toward the inner spoutend having a diameter slightly less than that of said mouth tofacilitate yieldable insertion of said spout end portion through saidmouth to assemble the spout on the nozzle, said enlarged cylindricalhead terminating at its outer end in a stop shoulder engageable withsaid nozzle spout to prevent inadvertent withdrawal of the insertedspout from said nozzle.

4. A container body having an upstanding nozzle provided with adispensing mouth defined by an annular depending skirt on the outer endof said nozzle, and a flexible telescoping pouring spout integrallyformed of compressible plastic material and having a seamless tubularbody of smaller diameter than said mouth to facilitate sliding of saidbody therein, the inner end portion of said spout having an enlargedintegral cylindrical head of slightly greater diameter than the diameterof said nozzle mouth, said head tapering inwardly toward the inner spoutend having a diameter slightly less than that of said mouth, saidtapered cylindrical head being compressible into reduced diameter bymovement through said mouth upon endwise pressure applied to said spoutin the direction of said nozzle for movably assembling said spout withinsaid nozzle, the outer end of said tapered head terminating in a stopshoulder engageable with said depending nozzle skirt for locking theassembled spout against complete withdrawal from said nozzle, the outerend of said spout body having a flange overlapping said nozzle forretaining said spout in retracted position therewithin.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

